OwlSwans

Note 1: if you’re going to write a myth, please learn about how the gods were perceived in the Ancient world to avoid falling into easy stereotypes and modern flanderisation. Be respectful. Myth is not just fanfiction

Note 2: please do not pass off any of the myths you write as ancient. I know some people will unfortunately try to do so

We never had temples to worship in, that was never a thing.

I keep seeing posts of people lamenting that we no longer have places to worship the gods in, in the same way people use churches and other places of worship today, but as someone with a degree in this, that was never officially a thing. This is what I mean when I say people need to deconstruct from their previous religion because the religions are different and what you might miss from one, you'll bring to the other, like missing a place of worship.

The temples were solely places to either hold things given to the gods, like thank you offerings, etc. or in some cases, where you got your prophecy told (Delphi), or some people slept in temples for Asclepius in order to dream of cures they believed the god would give them.

The ancient Greeks worshipped the gods in nature and had little altars in their homes.

This is why there were so many sacrificial altars outside in nature or outside the temples.

I understand it can be frustrating not having a place to worship because religious places of worship are great places to find like-minded people and find community, but the ancient Greeks didn't have to do that because the religion was a government mandated religion. Their literal governments would do things with the whole city-state outside of the temples. The closest thing we got to that were mystery cults but those were usually for the elite and still did things outside just in more secluded areas: (LINK)

Most of the time people weren't allowed to go into the temples, just priests, and the very few people that were allowed (to either drop off a gift, dream of a cure or get their fortune told) had very strict rules on making sure they were super clean because the priests would have to clean after them and they really didn't want to do that.

My point is that if you are worshipping the gods in nature (especially outdoor areas that inspire you because they believed a god resided in those areas) or in front of your altar at home, you're already doing what the ancient Greeks did.

Places of worship later got popularized with the rise of mystery cults in Rome and Roman Christians needing a secret place to worship, usually in someone's house which would later get converted as official places because of the persecutions.

I understand it can be frustrating to not have what more modern religions around you have but I need Hellenic Polytheists to understand that official places of worship were never a thing in the ancient Greek world.

They are worshipped in nature because the gods ARE nature itself.

I LOVE LIGHT

I LOVE POETRY

I LOVE ARCHERY

I LOVE HEALTH

I LOVE ART

I LOVE CROWS

I LOVE THE SUN

I LOVE SUNFLOWERS

I LOVE HYACINTHS

I LOVE GOLD

I LOVE APOLLON

I LOVE APOLLON

I LOVE APOLLON

Commissioned a portrait of my beloved as one does.

Thank you so much @myrthena for the gorgeous gorgeous piece 😭🙏🏼☀️✨💖

You swiftly cut,

Precision in your movements;

It's not pretty,

But it is graceful, as though you've orchestrated it

Since the day you were born.

You lead on those who need to be led,

You caution warriors, reminding them of their intellect,

Owl-eyed Athena, warrior Goddess of Wisdom,

How far your wits have led people all throughout the ages,

How your braveness and your cunningness have shaped soldiers

How great of a warrior you are,

new or old

when first researching where to start, it’s very overwhelming with everything you need to do. autism and chronic illness were and still are a major hindrance to everything i do, worship included, not to mention i am still worshipping in secrecy. i was put off from worshipping for a year or so because of this. it doesn’t have to be so daunting, the gods aren’t here to judge how efficient you are in your worship.

starting with altars, you don’t need one, especially not a big elaborate one. they’re gorgeous and one day i aspire to have one, but that’s not ideal or even possible at the moment. if you plan on giving libations you can have a small cup or glass to hold the offering and sit it next to you or in any empty space until you’re ready to discard. same with food items, a small platter works. it doesn’t have to be a dedicated space, they understand your circumstances.

another thing i struggled with was knowing which god or gods to worship. you don’t have to wait for a god to call to you. pray to who you want and who makes you feel comfort and happiness to think about. the gods aren’t going to turn you away. you can start with more than one too. there’s no ‘beginner’ gods, just who you want to start with!

giving offerings doesn’t have to be so complex, especially if you’re worshipping in secret. a big one i do is offer a portion of my food to the gods while i wait for it to cool or find a video to watch. i tell them i’ll eat after and the first bites goes to them. they know if you have limitations, they know i can’t give them food and let it sit and afford to not eat it myself and that’s okay. i also buy a lot of trinkets from various places, if it reminds me of the gods they get to keep it and when i look at it i’ll whisper a small hello.

devotional acts are easiest for me, it’s things i’m already doing or should be doing. taking my meditation/listening to music in honor of apollo. cooking/spending time with family in honor of hestia. watching ocean related videos for poseidon. if it pertains to the gods, devote the act to them and it keeps me on top of things i need to do if i know i devoted it to the gods.

this may be my most controversial section, i don’t do khernips! if you do, more power to you of course. i just don’t have the means, and don’t see much reason for that to stop me from worshipping. i will wash my hands with soap and water before giving an offering, but for regular prayer of just saying hi or talking about my day with the gods, which i usually do in bed or while out and about, i don’t worry about it. they know im human, they aren’t going to shut me down or out for being such. this stopped me for awhile, i couldn’t make khernips so of course i couldn’t worship but truthfully the gods are understanding. even somedays when im too tired, depressed or sick to do anything, i used to feel bad for not being my cleanest while talking to the gods but if i can’t pray when im at such a low point, when can i?

the gods aren’t going to be disrespected or angry at you for praying or offering whilst you’re on your period. yes, i’ve seen that debated. just be clean on human standards, when you can, and they will understand. they’re old and wise, they’ve seen it all.

i’m just rambling at this point so i’ll wrap up soon! coming from christianity, it’s hard to not fear the gods, i get it and most others do too. religious trauma is hard to overstep, if it’s something you struggle with the gods won’t mind if you have to do a few things differently. good luck on your journey, whether new or just continuing. i hope my yapping helped with anything. your faith is personal to you, don’t let others push you away from it. be kind to each other and yourself.

Yes, it’s okay if you accidentally set your phone down on your altar for 5 seconds. No, it does not mean you accidentally offered it.

You don’t need to give food offerings if you can’t/it stresses you out. You don’t need to give offerings every day if you can’t/it stresses you out.

It’s not expected of you to do more than you’re capable of. The gods care about you and want what’s best for you. If your practice is burning you out, you’re extending yourself past your bandwidth, or you’re doing things that cause you stress, take a step back and reevaluate why you’re doing it.